MIL I have a tough decision to make... v.Reserves to Guard

The background:
I have a friend who is a 1st SGT in a Guard unit. I am currently in the Army Reserves. I joined with a $15K prior service bonus for 21B (Combat Engineer). I want a combat arms MOS. I like 21B. I want to blow shit up. I would have gone active duty if I wasn't too old. [fuck every one of you young shitheads, by the way. ] Oh - and the Reserves are eliminating most of the 21B slots in the near future by crosstraining into other MOS slots.

The decision:
My friend has an open Intel AGR slot in his Infantry unit. He says it is mine if I want it. The only catch is that I will lose the bonus, and I will lose the 21B. So gimme some of that Barracks expert advice. I'm torn.

well you have gotten half of the bonus already and you will have to repay back a prorated amount. Also AGR slots are hard as fuck to get and is a cake job that normally ends with at least an e-7/e-8 rank.

Are you looking to retire from military? If so then go guard.

If you want to stay on parttime status then stay reserves. Personally i would go guard. (not because I am guard) but the benefits are much better in the guard. You get state and federal benefits instead of just federal.

well you have gotten half of the bonus already and you will have to repay back a prorated amount. Also AGR slots are hard as fuck to get and is a cake job that normally ends with at least an e-7/e-8 rank.

Are you looking to retire from military? If so then go guard.

If you want to stay on parttime status then stay reserves. Personally i would go guard. (not because I am guard) but the benefits are much better in the guard. You get state and federal benefits instead of just federal.

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I haven't received any of the bonus $$ yet. And I tend to agree with everything you said.

Jyokker said:

Show us your tits.

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They are posted in the Mod Corner. All new mods have to post nudes there.

From what I saw, the Guard has become pretty similar to the Reserves, but with a state mission as well as the federal one. I made the switch in 1993, and had to put up with a TON of hassles from my Reserve CO about going Guard. Not to mention my unit (which was shut down 6 months after I jumped) losing my paperwork twice. The thing I thought was really shitty was that I did that during my initial 6/2 contract, made 100% sure my contract to the Guard was the same 6/2 with time served counting toward the 6, and they still tried to fuck me into 2 more years. I'd actually gone in to re-up, and they told me I had another 2 to do. After counseling with my squad leader, platoon sergeant, and platoon leader, we came to the unanimous conclusion that the paper-pushers should go fuck themselves.

Anywho, AGR is a little different, I understand. Full-time job, mostly answering the phones at the armory, being the on-site soldier for whatever the unit needs. If you're on the hunt for full-time, this wouldn't be a bad way to do it.

I did not know this.
Why exactly is it that I wasn't provided with this info?

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first the bait. then the switch.

Topic notes-
G says to ask you the following:
1. Are you interested in intel at all? And if you didn't have a friend offering it to you, would you have thought of this as a career path?

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It would be interesting. I have to admit that it is not something that I would have chosen without the added incentive of AGR, though.

2. Any idea how long before the 21B slots are phased out?

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Rumor Control says within a year we should have firm orders.

3. When they are phased out, will you be allowed to choose from a list, or will you be voluntold your MOS?

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I don't know. I believe that I will be able to choose from any MOS that has an open slot in a unit that is close enough to drill with - and that my ASVAB and security clearance will qualify me for.

He also adds:
"I don't think he's going to be happy with a desk job, but I think Intel would be very interesting. You would have first hand knowledge into everything going on, and that, I think, would be cool."
"If they force phase his MOS, he should get to keep his bonus."

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I have heard that as well, from both Guard and Reserve recruiters. I just met with the Guard recruiter again today and he says that some Reserve-to-Guard soldiers have received the bonus even if they weren't actually supposed to get it. I'm not going to hold my breath on that one, though...

He also mentioned that you'd need a TS sec clearance if you elect to take that job.
This means that "they" will likely talk to your ex wife and ex gf. Oh to be a fly on the wall during those interviews.

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Yeah... I am not looking forward to that. At all. Not even a little bit.

jsut a little tid-bit... When your MOS is phased out you will be assigned a new MOS. Right now hawaii is phasing out infantry for cav scouts and we have no choice in matter. I guess you could argue breach of contract but normally you will not get to pick your MOS.

Just make sure you make the promotion before you leave otherwise you will be in hold status and not get promoted until you are MOS q'd + 6 months in your new MOS.